RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A House committee has punted on a bill to limit the personal use of campaign funds by Virginia politicians.
The GOP-controlled panel voted Thursday to put off until next year a vote on the legislation, which was a top ethics priority of Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe.
Virginia has one of the least restrictive campaign finance systems in the country, and lawmakers are only barred from using campaign funds for personal use when they close out their accounts.
An ethics commission made up of former lawmakers and others impaneled by McAuliffe recommended last year that lawmakers bar the use of personal use of campaign funds.
But many lawmakers have said they need wide latitude to use campaign funds because they are used to subsidize the costs of performing their official duties.
